She's 11 years old... and already she's raising her two younger brothers. Mom has a night job as a nurses assistant at a nursing home. It really doesn't pay the bills. She and her brothers are in school and that's a good thing. At least they get one meal a day due to the free lunches they qualify for. Every weekend though, she heads home wondering if there will be groceries. Mom doesn't always spend her income to feed the kids. But lately weekends haven't been quite as bleak. Her school counselor has arranged for her to get a backpack full of snacks every Friday. She's just one of 25 children that Good Shepherd provides for through our partnership with Maple Park Middle School. At 11 she's providing for her brothers, and you're providing for her. That's quite a gift you've given.
He's 36... and he thought he was on a meteoric rise through the company ranks. Then the layoffs came. He immediately jumped into job search mode but found his only offer to be one that was much more humble than he expected. He came to Good Shepherd in search of meaning. It wasn't one thing that made him come back, it was everything. The worship, the staff, the ministries for his children, and the warmth of our welcome. Now he and his wife have dedicated their lives to Jesus Christ and you provided that chance. That's quite a gift you've given.
He's 58... and the construction accident left him on disability. He cares for a wife with MS. His daughter and son in law were killed in a tragic car accident last spring on highway 35. You may have noticed the rush hour traffic tie up, maybe you cursed the slow down under your breath. Now he has 4 grandchildren living with him as well. At least he was frugal enough to make double payments on his house over the years and he owns it free and clear. But the car is getting older and the repairs are beginning to get beyond his expertise. And those four kids eat like horses. Last month he saw me in the church parking lot and went out of his way to thank me for our food pantry. I don't think he remembered that it was his third time to thank me. His kids, as he calls them now, eat every day, even during that last week of the month when he's waiting on the first of the month disability check. They eat because you provided a food pantry. That's quite a gift you've given.
These stories are not made up. Some details have been altered to conceal identities. The point is that you have given some great gifts during this past year. As you head down the stretch of Christmas shopping, please remember to continue your faithfulness to give the gift of Christ to your community. Your offering is changing real lives. That's quite a gift to be giving.
In Christ's Love,
Pastor Dave
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